Closure in The Sound and the Fury

The final section of The Sound and the Fury provides significant closure to the novel because it shows the story of the Compson family coming full circle and definitively highlights the problems of the unfortunate family. These two points are especially evident in the final scene of the novel. As we discussed in class, the story ends in chaos: Jason is angrily fuming at Luster, Luster is confused and overwhelmed, Benjy is wailing and upset, mother is at home, Lady Quentin has run away, most likely with a boy, and no one is sure where she is, the reader still is unsure about the condition of Caddy, and Quentin, Father, and Damuddy are all dead. All of these things provide an excellent snapshot of the ridiculous amount of collective problems that the Compson family has. This highlighting of problems provides closure to the novel because it is consistent with a running theme of the novel, the “tragedy” of the Compson family and all of the family’s imperfections and issues. The last section and scene of The Sound and the Fury also provides closure by having the novel essentially end where it started: Benjy and Luster together, as well and a bunch of unanswered questions. (204)